The Story of Psyche: panel 7. Cupid Carrying Psyche Up to Heaven 1908

Maurice Denis made this panel, part of the series *The Story of Psyche*, with oil on canvas, and I can imagine him gently building the image, layer by layer, in the studio, with his brushes and paints. Look how Denis has created this dreamlike image with such soft, gentle colours. It feels like he’s floating in the sky with Cupid and Psyche. What was Denis thinking as he was making this work? Did he see himself as Cupid, rescuing Psyche from earthly troubles? I am drawn to the way that Denis positions Cupid, carrying Psyche to heaven, with a feeling of optimism. See how the two figures embrace so tenderly! And the other figures in the painting, they have a beautiful grace; the way the doves fly elegantly. Denis’s paintings always had this lightness of touch, but also his ability to synthesize a range of influences and ideas – a conversation with other artists across time. I feel inspired when looking at this.